1. Field of the Invention
A prefabricated wall insert having an integral header and vertical ceiling plate-to-floor support members is disclosed for rapid installation into a selected wall of a building. A predetermined section of an existing wall is removed to generate a receiving aperture that mates with the insert to produce a modified wall that requires a minimum of surface refinishing to complete the installation.
2. Description of the Background Art
Building wall insert units, for installation into a pre-existing wall, have required that either the insert unit be prefabricated and small enough (garden windows and the like) to be placed into the wall without expansive wall modification (introduction of upper supports or headers) or constructed at the building location site (bay windows, large fireplaces and the like) and placed in the wall with extensive wall alterations (placement of upper supports or headers). Therefore, wall modifications or renovations have been limited to relatively small insert units with limited functionality or with the larger inserts to a process that is costly and very time intensive. The subject apparatus and method of installation overcome past limitations by supplying a relatively large and structurally sound prefabricated insert unit that is precisely and rapidly installed into any wall area without extensive on site wall structural modifications and finishing repairs.
Specific prior references include U.S. Pat. No. 2,893,075 that discloses a method of erecting enclosures that include door and window openings. Laminated panels of low density resin are assembled into a desired building form and door and window openings are cut into the resin. The cut edges of the resin are sealed and U-shaped channel sections are employed to line the door and window openings. The procedure relies upon the rigidity of the resin panels.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,487,597 relates an integral precast lintel balcony. This unit is designed to be inserted into a building as it is being constructed.
An expandable prefabricated building system and method of construction are presented in U.S. Pat. No. 3,782,063. Included is a preassembled rigid core unit with auxiliary floor sections and attached self-erecting or inflatable flexible membrane forms for satellite rooms surrounding the core unit.
Described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,219,978 is a precast reinforced concrete building panel wall structure. Each pre-cast panel has any required window openings or door openings, plumbing and electrical outlets, mounting brackets with self aligning grooves, and a sealed bottom edge. Bridging members extend along the top edge of the panels.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,236,361 discloses prefabricated building components made at a factory and assembled on site. The entire building is constructed from components comprising concrete reinforced steel columns attached to lightweight insulation molded over wire mesh running between the columns.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,269,006 explains a house assembly with prefabricated elements. No retrofitting of a conventional building is proposed in this disclosure. Insulation containing panels having outer perimeter grooves fit with support members to generate the house. Panels with a window or door opening fit into the assembly as would a solid panel.
A prefabricated module and method for making archways through building internal walls is presented in U.S. Pat. No. 4,301,632. The module fits below the ceiling top-plate, between existing vertical support studs within a building's internal wall. The lower support edges of the module rest on the floor bottom-plate. The upper curve of the arch is braced with a horizontal member and a plurality of angled components. The horizontal member is placed below ("recessed-depth below") the top edge of the module wall panels and substantially lower than the building's top-plate.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,869,036 and 4,947,615 disclose a modular building construction. A module is composed of a frame having two uprights for connection to opposed faces of adjacent columns and a panel connected to the uprights. The entire building is made from such unit modules. For existing conventional buildings, no retrofit options are presented.
A room addition is delineated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,922,666. The addition is a porch construction having recessed windows. The porch is attached to the outer surface of one existing house wall and a connection opening or door created in the existing wall.